Everyone knows who the best coach is in the AFC East. In fact, Bill Belichick will almost certainly go down as the best coach in NFL history.
Belichick has built a remarkable dynasty with the New England Patriots. That dynasty is coming to an end soon, but for now, the Pats are still the team to beat in the AFC East.
New England has won nine straight AFC East titles and 14 of the last 15 division crowns. They are the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC East again even though Tom Brady will soon turn 41.
The other three teams in the AFC East have a lot of work to do to catch up to New England. Buffalo made the playoffs a season ago, and Miami made the postseason in 2015. However, they still aren’t particularly close to the Patriots.
It will be intriguing to see if the Bills, Jets or Dolphins can make a leap and challenge the Pats this year. Perhaps the Patriots start to regress, but it’s tough to imagine that happening with Brady and Belichick running the operation.
Throughout the month of June, we are ranking the coaches in each division. We’ve already ranked coaches in the NFC North, NFC East, NFC South and NFC West. At the end of the month, we will rank the top five coaches in the NFL.
AFC East Coach Rankings
- Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Before McDermott took over last season, the Bills had the longest playoff drought in the NFL. Buffalo ended that miserable streak last season with a 9-7 record. Though they lost in the first round to the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was an important step for the franchise.
The Bills moved on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the offseason, so McDermott will have to choose between A.J. McCarron and rookie Josh Allen this year.
Bills’ HC Sean McDermott said rookie first-round pick Josh Allen will get some reps with Buffalo’s first-team offense at this week’s mini camp.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 12, 2018
McDermott did an impressive job with the Bills on the defensive side of the ball last year. It will be challenging to get an offense with limited weapons playing at a playoff level this year. Nevertheless, McDermott has an opportunity to build on a successful inaugural season as a head coach.
- Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins
Much like McDermott, Gase had a very successful debut season as Miami finished 10-6 in 2016. Last year, however, didn’t go as smoothly. Ryan Tannehill was injured before the season even started, and Gase brought in Jay Cutler out of retirement. The Cutler experiment didn’t work out as the Dolphins stumbled to a 6-10 record. Additionally, it’s not even a sure thing that Tannehill is the answer.
Gase is an exceptional play-caller, and he’s established himself as one of the best offensive minds in football. Now, the question is whether he can build a team. Miami has young talent, but they’re a team in transition. It’s up to Gase to take them to the next level.
- Todd Bowles, New York Jets
Yes, the Jets were a bad team last year. But they should have been abysmal team. They still finished near the bottom of the league with a 5-11 record, but they had the talent of a team that should’ve won 1-2 games.
Before last season, many analysts believed Bowles was on the hot seat. However, the fact that he coaxed five wins out of that team earned him another season. Bowles is now 20-28 through three seasons in New York, and it’s unclear how patient the franchise will be with him during the rebuilding process. The Jets drafted Sam Darnold with the third pick overall, and they’re finally starting to assemble a roster capable of competing at a higher level in the NFL.
Todd Bowles told reporters today that the QB depth chart at the start of training camp will be Josh McCown, Teddy Bridgewater and then Sam Darnold. But he added: We'll see what happens at the end of camp.
— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) June 14, 2018
Don’t expect the Jets to contend for a playoff berth this season. The roster still needs plenty of work. But as long as Bowles can show steady improvement, he deserves to remain on the sidelines as the franchise aims to right the ship.
- Bill Belichick, New England Patriots
The most surprising aspect of the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles wasn’t that the Pats lost. Or even that Nick Foles outplayed Tom Brady. It was watching Doug Pederson — a second year head coach — outmaneuver the best coach of all time.
Pederson was simply better than Belichick that night. The Eagles were more prepared, and Pederson made better in-game adjustments. That doesn’t happen to Bill Belichick often. And given Belichick’s track record, it probably won’t happen again for a long time.
Belichick probably doesn’t have much longer left in the NFL. The franchise values Brady over Belichick, which isn’t much of a surprise. But if Belichick starts losing some control, he could decide to retire within the next few seasons.
.@Oprah’s sits down with Tom Brady & asks if something up with him and Bill Belichick.
“No. I mean,I love him.I love that he’s an incredible coach,mentor for me.& he’s pushed me in a lot of ways. Like everything,we don’t agree on absolutely everything.But that’s relationships.”
— Raul Martinez (@RaulNBCBoston) June 17, 2018
Whenever Belichick does retire, he’ll leave behind a legacy unparalleled by any coach in NFL history. Belichick has won five Super Bowls as a head coach, and he has led the Patriots to eight Super Bowl appearances. His legacy and Tom Brady’s legacy will forever be intertwined, and it’s probably true that neither would have become the greatest ever without the other.
Belichick is still sensational in every aspect of coaching. He’s a brilliant tactician and strategist both in-game and during weekly preparation. As long as Belichick is roaming the sidelines, the Patriots will be a Super Bowl contender.
